Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, surveying has been part of the development of the human environment since the beginning of history. Land surveyors have a key role in most construction projects as well as transportation, communications, mapping, and defining legal boundaries for land ownership. It is an important tool for research in many other areas. Mr. Speaker, a little recognized fact is how much the Northwest Territories owes to the First Nations land surveyors who took on this role in the early days of our communities. I want to take this opportunity to recognize my constituent, Louie Constant of Fort Providence, who worked throughout the Northwest Territories surveying communities and highways. Louie, like a number of young high school graduates, began working as surveyor, learning on the job and working on various projects. Unlike qualified and professional surveyors, guys like Louie demonstrated their knowledge and skills of surveying by working alongside their formally-trained colleagues and proved their worth by playing a significant role in laying the foundation for roads and residential areas in most of our current communities. They built their skills on keen eyes for the land and deep familiarity with its features.
Today land surveyors use a variety of high-tech instruments and any jobs require professional training and certification. But we can build on the legacy of Louie Constant and other First Nation surveyors by incorporating traditional knowledge into the development of new infrastructure and promoting this profession among First Nations youth. I want to challenge the Departments of Lands and Municipal and Community Affairs to look at ways to promote land surveying as a career among youth in the NWT and highlight the role of traditional knowledge in planning our communities and the infrastructure that connects them. Working with professional organizations and private partners, the government can look for opportunities to encourage young people to choose a career in the field of survey work and land management through a scholarship or bursary program. Few people are as familiar with the land today as Louie Constant and his colleagues. Lifelong Northerners have a wisdom of place and we have an opportunity to honour the role of First Nation surveyors in the continuing evolution of the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
